Faroese Food, Festivals And A Natural Phenomenon
Book the date on 20th March 2015 (9:41am) to see the total solar eclipse, when the Faroe Islands will be one of only two places in the world where this natural phenomenon can be observed from land*.
The first record of a total solar eclipse in the Faroe Islands was 30th May 1612 at 11:25am and is steeped in legend. The story goes that four quarrelsome brothers from the village of Sumba were one day shrouded in darkness whilst tending to their sheep. They were petrified and promised the Lord that if they lived through the terrible experience, they would live harmoniously. The sun soon reappeared and the brothers never quarrelled again.
If you can't wait until 2015 then now is the time to discover the Faroe Islands - to stay, to dine and to celebrate.
The capital Tórshavn's Hotel Foroyar has been selected as the top Dine & Stay hotel in Denmark by the Danish Gourmet Guide. 
The Danish Gourmet Guide also selected Hotel Foroyar's restaurant Koks as one of Denmark's Top Five restaurants. Koks offers exquisitely-presented dishes including fermented fish, organic lamb, indigenous herbs and local rhubarb.
You can have supper with the locals by eating out at the home of farmers Anna and Óli Rubeksen in the village of Velbastaður about ten minutes from Tórshavn. Savour their wholesome menu, full of local produce, in the floor-to-ceiling windowed dining area, with jaw-dropping panoramic views of a scenic fjord and the green islets of Koltur and Hestur. This is an experience to be celebrated, with space to seat up to 30 people.
For one night only enjoy the annual Faroe Bank cod catch. Located 40 nautical miles south-west of the Faroes, where the Nordic Sea meets the North Atlantic, is the protected Faroe Bank; a self-contained ecosystem, where the cod differs genetically from other stocks and has a particular taste and texture. Just once a year, in March, the oceanographic vessel, Magnus Heinason is permitted to catch the cod for research purposes. The historical restaurant Áarstova in Tórshavn buys the catch and an exclusive cod dinner is prepared by the chef Jóhan Joensen.
Experience the new Hoyma festival in September with a celebration of music that goes back to basics. Reconnecting the audience with the performer, ten family homes' living rooms become mini forums for musical artists. With no lighting or sound equipment, it is a concept reminiscent of the ancient Faroese tradition of friends and families gathering in each other's houses for story-telling and singing.
Also new is the seven-night Hiking and Music Festival (7th - 14th August 2014), combining walks during the day through beguiling landscapes. Think dramatic cliffs, green valleys, waterfalls and volcanic rocks and magical, intimate concerts in various venues in the evenings.
For more information visit www.visitfaroeislands.com
* (the other is Svalbard).